Hyderabad[2] is the capital of Andhra Pradesh in Southern India, located on the banks of the Musi River and the Deccan Plateau. Hyderabad and Secunderabad are "twin cities" near Hussain Sagar Lake (also known as Tank Bund in local parlance) but both cities have grown so much that now they have become one big city. The city and district of Hyderabad are coterminus. Hyderabad district is entirely contained within the Rangareddi district of Andhra Pradesh. Many of the suburbs of the city are actually in Rangareddi.

A city rich with history and tradition, Hyderabad now competes with Bangalore for the crown of India's IT capital — Microsoft and Oracle have their India headquarters here.

Understand

If you are traveling to Hyderabad on business — as is increasingly the case now — it is easy to miss the 400-year-old Hyderabad. The city that immediately hits the eye is a sprawling metropolis of shopping malls and office buildings with glass facades. The whole of the city seems to be under construction or renovation and the roads are jammed because flyovers are being constructed.

The "old city" that was once the seat of the Nizam, the ruler of the largest and the most opulent "princely state", and the twin city of Secunderabad where the British maintained a cantonment to keep the army within striking distance of the Nizam can be seen only if you take the time out to see them.
Hyderabad is one of the Most Cosmopolitan Cities in India, with people from all over the country.
Hyderabad's many epithets include the City of Pearls, the City of Nawabs, the Biryani City and, because of its high-tech draw, Cyberabad.

History

Hyderabad's history dates back to 1463, when Quli Qutb-ul-Mulk established the fortress of Golconda around 8 km to the west of the present day old city. He had quelled rebellion in the Telangana region and had was appointed the subedar, or administrator of the region as a result. By 1518, he had become independent from the Bahmani sultan and declared himself the Sultan, under the name of Quli Qutb Shah and established the Shahi dynasty. Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah, a grandson of Quli Qutb Shah, took the decision to move his capital from the Golconda fort to the present day location of Hyderabad in 1589 to alleviate water shortages at the old location. In 1591, he ordered the construction of the Charminar, reportedly in gratitude to Allah for cutting short a plague epidemic before it could do too much damage.

The name "Hyderabad" reportedly had its origins in a love story between Mohammad Quli Qutb Shah and a local Telugu courtesan named Bhagmati. He named the city "Bhagyanagar" after her, and after she converted to Islam and took on the name of "Hyder Mahal", he named the city Hyderabad too. Hyderabad was built on a grid plan with help from Iranian artists. French traveller Jean-Baptiste Tavernier favorably compared Hyderabad to Orleans.

The Qutb Shahi dynasty lasted till 1687, when the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb defeated the sultanate and took over Hyderabad. He appointed his governor over the region and granted him the title of Nizam-ul-Mulk. Mughal rule was shortlived, however, as in 1724, Asaf Jah I gained independence from a declining Mughal empire. Legend has it that while on a hunting expedition, he met a holy man who offered him some kulchas and asked him to eat as much as he could. Asaf Jah ate only seven, and the holy man prophesied that his dynasty would last for seven generations. Sure enough, the seventh ruler in the dynasty was the last. In honour of the legend, the flag of the Nizams featured a kulcha.

Golconda Fort

Around 1763 Asif Jah II, defeated by the Marathas and threatened by Tipu Sultan of Mysore, entered into a subsidiary alliance with a British, and Hyderabad ended up as the capital of the largest princely state of India, Hyderabad state. This state was the most opulent and in the 1930s Time magazine had rated the Nizam the richest man in the world. In 1947, with India's independence, the seventh Nizam was reluctant to cede his prinicipality to the newly independent India, prefering Pakistan instead. India sent in its troops and the 200 year old prophesy was fulfilled. Hyderabad became the capital of the newly formed state of Andhra Pradesh in 1956 and steadily grew in size.

The next major event in Hyderabad's history took place when Chandrababu Naidu became the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh in 1995. Among his key policies was a major attempt to turn the city into an IT hub. He cleaned up the streets, laid out IT parks and did his best to attract technology companies into the city. A major achievement for him was when Microsoft chose Hyderabad as its India headquarters over arch rival Bangalore. Today, as Bangalore chokes over its infrastructure, Hyderabad's well-laid out streets are proving to be a major attraction for software and IT-enabled companies. Hyderabad takes its brand as an IT destination very seriously. Cyberabad is not just a nickname. The technology enclave of Madhapur has actually been officially named Hi tec city, and Cyberabad too is commonly used in official documents.

Orientation

The old city of Hyderabad lies on the south bank of the Musi river, which roughly flows from the West to East. Most of the historical attractions, including, the Charminar, considered the centre of old Hyderabad, lie on this bank. Secunderabad, which was once a separate city, lies some distance to the north of the old city. Between Secunderabad and the old city lies the new city of Hyderabad, the administrative capital of Andhra Pradesh, which was built on the north bank of the Musi river after independence. The dividing line between the two cities is the Sardar Patel road which also goes East-West. The most prominent landmark here is the Hussain Sagar lake and most administrative offices are located around it.

The newly developed "Hi-tec city" is 9 km to the west of the new city, in a place called Madhapur. This is where most technology and business process outsourcing (BPO) firms have their campuses.

Culture and attitudes

In many senses, Hyderabad is the meeting ground between North and South India. The city has a culture of its own distinct from the rest of Andhra Pradesh, showing Islamic influences and also the courtly influence of being the capital of the Nizamate. This, however, is more true for the old city. The new city is, and looks like, just another provincial capital of a state of India. Secundarabad is more cosmopolitan, was the base for the British in Hyderabad, being home to the army personell from various parts of India, since Contoment area is located in this part of the city. It is a true unity in diversity, with people from almost all parts of India calling Hyderabad their home.

In recent years, due to the influx of young men and women from various parts of the country, Hyderabad's culture and attitudes have taken a turn towards "modernity", but keep in mind that this is still a deeply conservative place. Actions that would not raise an eyebrow in the west, such as a man and woman kissing, will invite stares from everyone in the vicinity.

Climate

Hyderabad experiences extremes of hot and cold and is mostly dry. Temperatures in Hyderabad range from 15.2 to 39.2 (Celcius).

The best time to visit Hyderabad is from September to February, during the winter.

Talk

Hyderabad is one of the places where Urdu developed, and the dialect of Urdu spoken here, primarily by the large Muslim population, is called Dakhani Urdu (Urdu of the Deccan.) Because of the influence of Urdu, Hindi is widely spoken here. It will be in a dialect that will sound strange to a native Hindi speaker - but your Hindi phrasebook will still be useful. Telugu, the language of Andhra Pradesh, is widely spoken.

Get in

Hyderabad is well connected to all parts of the country by air, rail and road.

By plane

Hyderabad Airport

The airport [3] is located at Begumpet. The airport as such does not have a name and is simply called Hyderabad Airport, but it has two terminals. The international terminal is named after Rajiv Gandhi and the domestic terminal is named after N T Rama Rao. The airport looks like a sleepy provincial airport and though it is adequate to handle the current traffic, it will prove inadequate to handle future load. A new international airport is being constructed, on the suburbs, at Shamshabad, which is scheduled to be operational by April 1, 2008.

Direct international connectivity to the airport is available from nearby countries, from the Middle-east and from Southeast Asia. Flights from Europe and the Americas are fewer. It is best to arrive via Mumbai or Chennai. Domestic connectivity is very good.

The airport is at the heart of the city. Once you arrive, the best option is to take a prepaid taxi to your destination. There is one run by the traffic police, where you can buy the prepaid coupon for the city's standard taxis or autorickshaws. This is the cheapest and is adequate. There are others close by which offer better cars.

Sufficient parking is available at the airport, but the charges are high - Rs. 60 for four hours. Avoid the parking area that is closer to the airport - they are "premium" and they cost 120 rupees.

By train

Indian Railways [4] runs its service to Hyderabad from all over India.

There are three major railway stations serving the twin cities: Secunderabad, Nampally (Hyderabad), and Kacheguda. Another station is planned to open soon at Begumpet.

By car

If you don't mind a long drive, Hyderabad is at a drivable distance from Bangalore (via NH7 - 552 km). It is 752 km from Chennai (NH9 and NH5) and 753 km from Mumbai (NH9 till Pune and the expressway to Mumbai.) The Bangalore Hyderabad section is part of the North South corridor which is being updated, and is a four-lane divided highway.

By bus

Hyderabad is well-connected to all parts of the Andhra Pradesh and some parts of South India.
CBS / Imliban is the biggest station run by APSRTC (state-run) situated in Hyderabad and JBS / Jubilee Bus station is in Secunderabad. [5]. Imliban is said to be the largest bus station in the world. APSRTC is in the guiness book of world records for having the highest number of buses in a particular state in the world.

Get around

Autorickshaw/Auto

There are many ways to get around in Hyderabad. It has good bus service, passable autorickshaw and taxi service and a grossly inadequate local train service.

By bus

Hyderabad has very good local bus connectivity and is run by APSRTC, a state-government owned corporation. Most buses start and terminate in Secunderabad Railway station, Nampally Railway station, Kothi, and Charminar.

By autorickshaw

Autorickshaws or an Auto in Hyderabad should be metered, though it can be difficult for non-locals to find an autorickshaw driver who agrees to a metered fare from the airport. But you should insist on metering a trip. Autos can carry a maximum of 3 passengers excluding the driver, but it is common to find them being overloaded to carry up to six passengers. . The minimum fare (flagfall) is Rs 10.00. There are also shared 8 seater Maxi Vans available in selected areas. Fares are mostly 2 rupees more than bus fares, but are far more comfortable and fast.

By taxi

Metered taxis are also available, but they cannot be hailed off the street. One needs to call their centralised despatch centre and book the service. Service is very good. It is next to impossible to be able to get a cab without prior booking since demand far outstrips the supply. Minimum is Rs. 80 valid for the first two kilometres and subsequently it is Rs. 10 per kilometre. All cabs have digital meters that show the distance and fare. Outsiders arriving at Hyderabad Begumnpet Airport can book in advance and inform their flight details so that the Cab Company will send the taxi to pick one up on arrival. Do fine tune the modalities like exact pick up point, driver's mobile number, etc. while booking.
Companies offering metered taxis include

By train

MMTS Local Train

Local trains are also available, albeit, for a few places in Hyderabad, called MMTS.

By car

Hyderabad lacks an expressway system, leading to traffic jams during rush hours. However, an 160km Ring Road Expressway [11] is currently under construction, with an expected first phase completion in early 2008.

Driving discipline in Hyderabad is, if it can be possible, worse than in the rest of India. The drivers and the roads of Hyderabad are made for each other. There are long stretches of roads passing through thickly populated areas that have no median breaks, so vehicles, including motorbikes and cars, simply drive on the wrong side of the road. The accepted way to take a right turn is to go to the left edge of the road and turn right, in the face of multiple lanes of cars attempting to go straight. Red lights are broken in broad daylight.

On foot

Hyderabad,especially Old City, is good for walking. Going around Chudi Bazaar(Lad Bazaar) near Charminar is an experience, a visit to the famed Chowmahalla palace and Mecca Masjid is a good option. Places like Necklace Road, Sultan Bazar(Koti), Abids and Madhapur(for learning about the local Software Industry) are some of the good places. But please note that walking can be hazardous. It is common for roads to not have pavements at all, and bikes will go to right up to the edge of the road and climb any barrier to gain an advantage over others on the road.

See

Historical

Charminar A Four-minaret monument is the most recognised pictures of Hyderabad.

Golkonda Fort In the 16th century, Golkonda was the capital of the Qutb Shahi kingdom in south India, near Hyderabad. The city was home to one of the most powerful Muslim sultanates in the region and was the center of a flourishing diamond trade. Magnificent diamonds were taken from the mines in the hills surrounding Golconda, including Darya-e Nur (meaning "sea of light"), at 185 carats, the largest and finest diamond of the crown jewels of Iran. By the 1880s, "Golconda" was being used generically by English speakers to refer to any particularly rich mine, and later to any source of great wealth.

Falaknuma Palace Built by Nawab Viqar al-Umra', a beautiful and stunning piece of architecture. The most opulent of the Nizams' many palaces, Falaknuma was built in 1872. A huge amount of money was lavished on the interior, which is particularly impressive and features the works of Florentine sculptors. And has a 100-seater Dining Table. The palace is currently being renovated, and the Taj Group is converting it into a luxury hotel.

Chowmahalla Palace[12]Once the centre of Hyderabad , Situated near Charminar. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty where the Nizam entertained his official guests and royal visitors.</see>

Qutb Shahi Tombs

Paigah Tombs Located at Santoshnagar(Pisal Banda), these tombs belong to the 'Paigah' nobles (tied by blood and marriage to the Nizams) and are about 200 years old. These unique lime and mortar tombs are beautifully carved and have marble inlay work on them.

Public GardensIt was known as the Bagh-e-aam (Garden for the commeners), it has well laid out gardens, and also houses the imposing State Legislative Assembly building, the Jubilee Hall, the Jawahar Bal Bhavan, the Health Museum and the State Archaeological Museum.

Planetarium at Naubat Pahad.

Numaish An exhibition that runs in the months of January & February every year. It showcases various items made across India.</see>

AP State Museum Displays a stunning array of artifacts dating back to the 1st century to the 20th Century. Ranging from the Lotus Medallion of the 1st century to the Amazing Kalankari work that adorned the bed-spreads of the Nizams to a period room that displays the typical living room of the Nizam time to the Jain sculptures and Statues - this place has it all.

The High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Nayapul

Osmania Arts College[13] Built during the period of the last Nizam, Mir Osman Ali Khan. The imposing facade of the building is a great sight.

Purani Haveli -

The Kothi Residency (Now, Womens College, Kothi)

The Hyderabad Public School Begumpet - Formerly a Nizam's palace and the Jagirdar's College. This Institution was founded in 1923 and is currently one of the oldest and largest public schools in the country. The campus is also an internationally recognised heritage site.

Raymond TombMichel Raymond, a French mercenary, was a military commander in the service of the second Nizam and also his close friend. His tomb is located at Saroornagar, and is made of black granite.

Museums

Salarjung Museum Naya Pul phone=+91 40 2452-3211 Open:Saturday -Thursday: The salarjung museam is an exquisite collection of priceless articles of erstwhile Prime Minster of Deccan, Nawab Salar Jung and his family. It is largest on-man collection in the world. The museum has a variety of rare and expensive Nizam jewellery.

Archival Museum(A.P. State Archives and Research Institute)Tarnaka, Hyderabad-7 Tel. +91-40-27018371

Purani Haveli Museum - Purani Haveli, Hyderabad. Home to the world's longest wardrode, built in two levels with a hand-cranked wooden lift(elevator) in place. This occupies the entire length of one wing of the palace.

The Natural History Museum Nehru Zoological park, has some rare and interesting exhibits.

Shilparamam, Hi tec city, Madhapur. Designed as a contrast to the futuristic Cyber tower that lies across the road, the crafts village of Shilparamam ("sculpture village") lies at the entrance to Hi tec city. The intent is to showcase and preserve the old. There is a bazaar where you can buy assorted handicrafts and art work. There is also an entire village (additional entrance fee of Rs. 2) where you can find realistic looking sculptures of villagers of yore carrying out their traditional crafts. You can also find a rock museum which contains natural rock formations that allegedly look life-like - skip this if you are short of time. There are swings for children to play and a food court where you can consume oily snacks. An open air auditorium hosts classical Carnatic performances. A night bazaar is under construction. Nearby is Shilpkala vedika [1], a venue for performing arts. Worth a visit, and make sure you carry cash to buy anything you like - credit cards are not accepted by any shop. Rs. 10.

Mosques

Usually there are lot of Qutubshahi mosques in Hyderabad , which date back to Qutubshahi Empire (almost 300 yrs old), Mostly built by Quli qutub shah.

Hyderabad Mecca Masjid – a 400 year old mosque

Toli Masjid – 300 years old. Known for its splendid architechture. Located in Karwan

Moula Ali Dargah – 400 stairs brings you to a place of worship built by the Asif Jahis. The Moula Ali Dargah was built in the memory of Hazrat Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad. Legend has it that Yakoob, a eunuch in the court of Ibrahim Quli, went to the hill after he saw Hazrat Ali seated on it. To his surprise, he saw the impression Ali's palm on a stone, which he had dreamt. He had the impression cut out and installed in a shrine. Ibrahim Shah later built a mosque beside the dargah. A Ashurkhana , a Baradari (pavilion) and an Nqqar khana (place for beating drums) were built during the Qutb Shahi period.

Lakes

Shamirpet - 24 Kms away to the north of Secunderabad, Shamirpet has a beautiful lake & a deer park. Its peaceful environs make it a great picnic spot. AP Tourism offers comfortable cottages facilities for accommodation (under private management), while the forest lodge can be booked with the AP Forest Department office at Saifabad.

Saroornagar

Parks

Necklace Road ( The Chaupati of Hyderabad)

Lumbini Park.

Indira Park

Public Gardens (This was the old zoo and now is a beautiful place for both children and adults).

Work

Buy

Pearls of Hyderabad (Abids and Somajiguda Jewelry shops) popular for their Quality And Lustre. Choose from 3 varieties in Pearls Viz. Natural, Cultured, and Imitation.

Ornaments & jewelry (Punjagutta,Abids and Somajiguda)

Imitation Jewelery From Charminar.

The Golden Mile of Hyderabad for shopping, consisting of shopping plazas, Malls, Designer Boutiques and upmarket shops - Starting from Lifestyle near the Begumpet Flyover and extending all the way till Road No.1 Banjara Hills.

Bazaars

Malls

Lifestyle (Begumpet)

Hyderabad Central (Punjagutta)

Shoppers stop (Begumpet)

City Centre (Road No.1,Banjara Hills)

Pantaloons (Begumpet)

Maheshwari Plaza (Abids)

Big Bazaar (Abids)

Brand Factory (Abids)

Eat

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Hyderabadi cuisine that developed as an attempt to satisfy the palate of the Nizam, his court and his army. While heavily influenced by traditional Telangana cuisine, it is distinct from it.

The most famous Hyderabadi dish is the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Dum refers to the baking process where Basmati rice and meat or vegetables are mixed in a pot and heated for a long time. During the Nizam's time, the Biryani was made with lamb's meat carefully cooked with rice. Culinary delicacies of Hyderabad include Gosht, which is made from a buck/billy/young goat, and is associated with the Hyderabadi cuisine.Hyderabadis prize the meat of a male goat.Kachchi gosht ki biriyani of Hyderabad, where raw meat is stir fried with spices(masala) for couple of minutes and then covered with rice and put on dum. Today, Biryani is also made using vegetables, chicken, seafood and beef. The beef Biryani is known as Kalyani Biryani, available at many small eateries in the city. Although any Irani cafe might serve this delectable dish, there are a few places better known for tasteful food than their hygiene.

Mirchi ka salan — spicy chilly gravy, is another dish that serves as a tasty accompaniment to any rice item.

Khubani ka meetha is Hyderabad's preferred dessert sweet. It is made from apricots boiled in sugar syrup till they achieve a thick consistency. It looks similar to, but tastes different from gajar ka halwa. It is topped by an ice-cream or cream.

Double Ka Meetha is made from bread, milk, dry fruits etc.. This is also one of the desserts of Hyderabad.
Hyderabadi Haleem is another dish, which is available only in the month of Ramadaan(Ramzan).

Local cuisine

In these Hotels one can get the Hyderbadi dishes, it's an experience to have a meal in these restaurants.

4 Seasons(Toli Chowki,Mehdipatnam)Ph: (+91)-(040)-2356 7439 , 6557 8671 - by awarded The Best Biryani by Times of India in 2006.

Alpha (Secunderabad Station), famous for its Beja Fry available only in the morning, served for breakfast.

Hyderabad also offers a midnight feast of Biryani along with a lavish spread of other dishes. The Midnight Biryani Buffet normally opens at 2330 hrs and remains open into the wee hours of the day.

If Biryani is not your choice of meal or you have had your fair share of it, do not fret. Hyderabad offers a wide variety of food on its platter, and many of the luxurious hotels offer authentic cuisine even from places such as Afghanistan - Dum Pukt in Grand Kakatiya is a case in point. Besides, there is unending array of thematic food festivals to soothe your appetite.

Drink

There is plenty to do at night in Hyderabad, though local regulations have most places serving last drinks by 11 pm. On weekdays, drinks in the some of the pubs have best offers, as most clubs are empty until Thursday or Friday nights, when the clubbers emerge. But the sheer number of nightlife spots makes it hard to choose which ones to list. As a general rule they tend to be clustered around Begumpet, Road No.1 Banjara Hills.

Alcohol

Alcohol is available easily from numerous Liqour Shops, known as Wines' in local parlance, spread across the twin cities, in Restaurants who have taken licence for serving alcohol (includes most upscale ones) and also in Pubs like

Cafes

Soft Drinks

The best drink in the summer months is Lassi and Faluda(Paradise serves the best Faluda in Hyderabad), Or Coconut Water and many people here also drink the famous sugarcane juice. But the most famous & favorite drink all over the year irrespective of the season is the the Irani chai ( hyderabadi tea) which is available all over the city.

Sleep

Hyderabad has a tremendous range of accommodation, from low-rent budget hotels to five-star.

Contact

Post Office

India Post[47], a govt-owned ent.,has its headquarters at Abids known as GPO. And its second biggest centre is located in Secunderabad.

Landlines

The dialing code for Hyderabad is 040. When calling from overseas, dial +91 40 XXXX XXXX. If you have a non-working phone number with only 7 digits try to add "2" in front of it.
There are public call booths everywhere.

Mobile Phones

One of the cheapest tariffs in the world, one can get a mobile with a calling rate of 49 paise/minute for a local call. It is very easy to get a Prepaid mobile, which is very cheap to get and for calls. One needs to give a Photo ID proof and a photograph for prepaid as well as postpaid connection as per the Govt. regulations.

Internet

Internet cafes are spread around town and most easily found in the city and residential areas. Charges vary between Rs.15-20 an hour.
Reliance WebWorld provides Broadband internet centres, but there are very few of them in the city.
For a long stay and if you have a laptop, it's better to get a Data plan either from Tata Indicom[54] or Reliance Mobile, which are around Rs.1000 a month.

Stay safe

Hyderabad has the best safety record in India. It has, consistently, been voted The Safest City. Venturing out in the nights is not a problem at all, even for Women. Please do carry some sort of identification as sometimes the police may stop you especially in the night to make sure no antisocial elements are running around. Always keep your well wishers informed about where you are going and by what time you will be back.

Money Changers

Many hotels will change money for you at the front desk. However, they may not offer the best rates.

It is best to change money at the city based money changers than the ones located at the airports. The ones at the airport offer much less, hence it is better to exchange at Saifabad where heaps of moneychangers are located. And some of them offer door-step service, call them up and get a rate before deciding.

Radio Stations

Newspapers

The Deccan Chronicle is Hyderabad's oldest newspaper, a good source to know about the city and, indespensible, if you need to look up classifieds, for, say renting a house. The Times of India with its new office in Hyderabad has good local content and is increasingly widely read.

Get out

This is a usable article. It has information for getting in as well as some complete entries for restaurants and hotels. An adventurous person could use this article, but please plunge forward and help it grow!